Nothing Ever Changes
by stitchgal
Summary: Just as Christina Y. and Owen H. got through a hurdle that almost impeded their relationship, another came along. How strong could their relationship carry them through it? Could the trust that was built previously be torn apart by another obstacle?
1. Chapter 1

_Hi all, the reason I started this fic is because 2 empty weeks without grey's anatomy is killing me and hence perhaps writing about my favorite characters will curb the misery. I'm aware that there are tons of good writers around and mine in comparison may not be as interesting. Besides, I'm not a native speaker so as to say. Nonetheless, if you enjoy reading my fic, please do drop me a word of encouragement. Reviews or any comments are greatly appreciated! Thank you and enjoy!_

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**_For some people, a wedding signifies a new beginning of life, a new starting point for happiness and usefulness. For other, it is an irremovable scar that will always be there despite trying to hide it._**

The soft music of the organ started filling the air and echoed through the clean white walls and pillars of the chapel. He, together with two other best men was left standing at the altar awaiting the grand entrance of their each respective bridesmaid. For a moment the music was drowned out by the gentle rumbling of the congregation rising to their feet to get their first look at the bride.

There was a barely audible collective low murmur of voices when the first bridesmaid entered the aisle, followed by the second and the third. Despite how ravishing they all looked today, his electrifying gaze only settled at the one woman who never failed to take his breath away. A crooked grin unconsciously plastered on his face as he watched her intently at how hard she tried to conceal her scowl and maintain her gracefulness down the aisle. She had complained to Meredith that she could never get the walk down the aisle right, either her pace was too fast for Izzie and Lexie to catch up or she might just trip over her stupid heels.

"I hate lavishing weddings!" Chistina had hissed to Meredith during the wedding rehearsal just the night before, pacing up and down the aisle nervously.

"But this isn't yours, Christina," Meredith stared up at her with nonchalance.

"I know. I'm just saying I hate it!" Christina stopped pacing, finally, and glared at Meredith.

"Ok…" Meredith gave her an ambivalent shrug before she returned to memorizing her wedding vows.

"Wait…You don't just stop there. You gotta ask me why, why!" Christina slumped down at one of the benches beside her best friend.

Sighing, Meredith looked up at her expectantly, and asked, "Why?"

"Because you, Meredith Grey, for once, have made a terrible choice by picking me as your maid-of-honor! All weddings are a façade, and wedding vows are meant to be changed!"

Owen frowned a little when he overheard their conversation. He never really understood why wedding could give her the jitters, even though it wasn't hers to begin with. The thing with Christina was, she never gave herself enough credits. In his eyes, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, inside and out. The confidence she eluded was one that he had seldom seen in other women's possession and the endless support she had given him throughout his therapy was enough for him to boldly declare his undying love to her in front of the whole congregation, except that knowing Christina, she would hate him for doing that.

Today, she looked stunning in that champagne tube dress that Meredith had specially selected for all her bridesmaids. Her black wild curls were pulled up with dozens of silver pins, revealing her tender neck which he could kiss and taste all day. Owen recognized the small private smile that she had on her face was an attempt to conceal the flutters of butterflies in her stomach and he didn't blame her, knowing that she wasn't a people's person.

As if she felt the intense stare from him, and she held his gaze with a slight blush across her cheeks that only Owen could tell and that made him grin wider. He loved that after all that they had been through, they could still make each other's heart skipped a beat with just an eye contact or a kiss on the cheeks. He never had this special feeling with Beth nor anyone besides Christina. His Christina. He wasn't going to deny that a huge part of him wished that it was their wedding today, but the thought of rushing into a marriage without even being sure if he was able to turn the love of his life into the world's most blissful bride made him think twice.

"You're seeing through me, Dr Hunt," Christina murmured softly into his ears when she reached the altar and took his hand.

"I couldn't take my eyes off you, Dr Yang." Owen hid his smile before they parted. The bridesmaids on the right while the best men on the left.

A collective gasp went through the crowd when the bride appeared at the rear of the church. Meredith walked down the aisle with her father on her arm. She looked radiant in a lily-white gown; and thousands of tiny crystal-like beads sewn on that glimmered in the light whenever she moved. Her golden brown hair shone in the soft lighting in the church as she continued walking, her smile captured the essence of a thousand laughs.

Meredith and Derek's wedding was a huge success. Bright sparkle confetti flew from all sides as the new weds exited the church, laughing and ducking their heads whilst they climbed into their black Volkswagen Jetta and drove away. The crowd stood behind in front of the chapel and witnessed the happy couple drove off to their_ happily-ever- after_.

"Looks like cupid has finally shot the right couple with its bow and arrow," Alex mumbled, running his fingers through his tousled hair lazily but he soon yelped aloud when Izzie's elbow nudged his ribcage. "What's that for?" he growled.

Christina's brows rose. She rolled her eyes at him and said sarcastically, "Not every day that someone had the honor to experience what it feels like to be left at the altar so I appreciate your comment, Karev!"

Christina never liked weddings. She never believed that a damn piece of paper could bind a couple forever or work any wonders to craps like _happily ever after._ And of course she had to specifically thank her ex-fiancé for adding another reason to her belief on why marriage would never work. Nonetheless that didn't prevent her from wishing her person happily ever after with Derek.

She felt a strong arm tightening around her waist. Her heart pounded, wondering if he overheard what she had said to Alex. She wasn't at all ready to confess her past relationship to Owen, not when their relationship had just begun to sail reasonably smoothly after the rough patch they had gone through dealing with his PTSD. He should be spared from her not-so-proud past relationship with Preston Burke, at least for now.

"Ready to go?" Owen raised a hand to her hair and gently brushed her strands of hair aside. She loved it so much whenever he did that. His gentleness never failed to send tingles of warm sensation through her nerves.

Her nod was restless and resigned. Silence followed after as they walked hand in hand to the parking lot. Maybe her worries were redundant. She was grateful to Owen for not probing into her unwanted past because that was the last thing she needed now, to be reminded of the abandonment at her own wedding.

With one hand still holding onto hers securely, Owen reached out to open the door of the car for her. Christina mumbled him a 'thanks' before she started into the car, but felt a tug on her palm which pulled her back. She peered up to him, searching his worried blue eyes in confusion.

"You look beat," he observed gently, noticing her drawn face. His palms found its way onto her face and he lightly caressed her cheeks with his thumbs, hoping to sooth all the tension she was feeling.

Smiling, she cocked her head slightly to her left, her own palm tightening into his as she basked in the warm limens of his touch. His strong sense of understanding touched the very bottom of her heart and she felt the heavy urge to confide in him; yearning to hear him telling her that everything would be ok, just like how she would have told him. She contemplated and decided against it. They had a four hours break before the wedding banquet starts. She came to a conclusion that today was Meredith's big day, not Christina's self-wallowing day.

"It's a long day today. Maybe a rest later would do me some good," she told him after getting into his car; her smile was strained but genuine.

Owen nodded in agreement and said, "Get some rest when you get home. I shall pick you up at 6."

That evening, Christina applied a touch of mascara and stepped back to inspect her reflection in the full-length mirror. The mauve cocktail dress was perfect for the wedding banquet. Its crushed velvet material was soft and lovely, its line flattering in their simplicity. A simple pair of dangling earring matched her outfit completely. Even her hair she wore was simple – pulled back in a loosely bun. Just the way Owen liked it.

She hated that she cared so much, she who lectured Izzie and Meredith that good looks are secondary, was preening and fussing like a high school senior on her way to prom. Okay, so she wanted to look good for him, she wanted to see the flicker of admiration in his eyes. Was that so terrible? She was a normal thirty-two year old woman who still feels good when an attractive army guy suddenly appeared in her messed up life and literally swept her off her feet. Period.

She slipped on her black high heels and glanced at the clock above her bed. He'd be here any minute. As if on cue, her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"It's me," Owen's deep husky voice sounded on the other line. "I'm running a little late."

"Oh." She cast another quick look at the clock. "Where are you? Should I call Shepherd and say we'll be late?"

"If we are, we won't be by much. I'm already on my way to your apartment and should be there around ten minutes."

"Fair enough. I'll see you in a bit then."

When Christina disconnected from her phone, she couldn't seem to get rid of the naggy feeling at the back of her head, wondering what could make Owen Hunt, who previously worked in the army and detested unpunctuality, be late for a wedding.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	2. Chapter 2

A pair of abnormally brilliant blue eyes, the same color as Owen's, greeted her when she hopped onto his BMW. Startled, her gaze moved to Owen for clarification before staring down again at that little thing, that innocent-looking pixie face who was staring back at her.

"Leon, say hi to Aunt Cristina," said Owen, looking down lovingly at a boy no more than five years old who was slouching at the back seat with his little arms folded across his chest. He has soft curly blond hair and his eyes were a sapphire blue that ran the same as Owen.

"Hello Cristina," Leon mumbled disinterestedly.

Cristina tried to corral her thoughts. "Excuse me? What is going on? And…who is he?" Cristina glared up at Owen, hoping that his explanation would be good.

"Cristina…I-" Owen rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled through pursed lips. "I drove down to my hometown today after dropping you off."

Her mouth was agape and she stared at him in shock. It was way beyond her expectation to hear that from him considering that he had been avoiding his family ever since his return from Iraq so _why now_? And he could at least bother to tell his girlfriend about his plans on visiting his mother, yet he did not. She felt a mixture of anger and hurt bubbling up inside her after realizing that there could be other stuffs that he had been hiding from her, like the boy sitting behind them. That kid shared the same eyes as Owen, could he…could he be…Her heart was starting to thump wildly as she bit her bottom lip in hope to bite off those irrational thoughts she was now having.

Cristina started to respond, but before she'd form the first word, she was interrupted by Owen.

He continued with deep raspy breath, "Beth gave me a call right after I dropped you off. My sister, Kara, she's on a verge of a divorce and has escaped to Hawaii for a break. Escaping is her best forte, or maybe, it runs in the family," he chuckled quietly. "So now Leon would be under my temporary care until Kara returns."

"You mean he's your nephew?" Feeling an incredible surge of relief, Cristina lowered her head to hide a smile.

First he stared her oddly at that remark, and then he could no longer contain his laughter by chuckling with amusement. "You thought Leon is my son?"

She stifled a scowl. "Well what was I supposed to think after finding a boy in your car who actually shares the same eyes as you?"

"Probably." His lips curved slightly as he pulled to a stop at a parking lot right outside Grand Hyatt Hotel. He got out of the car and opened the door for both Cristina and Leon.

"Uncle Leon, lemme ride on your shoulders!" Leon said excitedly, tugging on Owen's hand.

"Urgh you little monkey!" Owen lovingly ruffled Leon's hair and with one strong arm, he picked up the little boy and placed him on his broad shoulders. "There, sit tight young man!"

The man's ___eyes twinkled_ in the silver moonlight as a small smile graced his lips in a way that Cristina had never seen. Totally a different man from the one she had known. She couldn't help wondering if this man was the real Owen Hunt whom he had declared dead previously?

"Did you um…did you finally see your mother?"

His smile disappeared gradually and with a terse nod, he replied, "She was there."

A brief hesitation. "So I reckon she accepted for who you are?"

He paused and turned to grin at her. "And you thought you knew nothing about me."

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him, no longer smiling. "I don't know much."

He stared down at her; she expected him to come up with some smart-ass comeback. Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her. When he drew back, he said quietly, "There. You know that."

Cristina couldn't help smiling at that. It was true that she didn't know much about his past because he was reluctant to go into it or would find a way to avoid the topic, like earlier. However, she respected that, knowing the damages he had been through before. As he had said, she was the only one who saw him for who he was now, the brand new Owen. Yet, sometimes she couldn't help wondering what was he like way before he entered the war, in another words, the real him. The real Owen Hunt. These thoughts left heaviness behind, a residue. When she didn't say anything, he opened the door to the hotel and they made their way to the wedding reception.

The banquet room was really spectacular. The walls were painted an artistic shade of red and white and on them hung paintings with gold gilt odd sketch of baby cupids with wings. Pink and white balloons could be found hanging on the walls. _These decorations were definitely cheesy but very Meredith, _Cristina thought with a chuckle.

"You are so late!" Izzie hissed as she came up to them with two glasses of red wine and handed one to Cristina. "Here, you definitely need one of these."

"Thank you," Cristina furrowed her brows and looked at her oddly before accepting the glass of wine. "Where's Meredith?"

"She's somewhere around that corner talking to Mc Mama," Izzie replied absent-minded. Her eyes widened when she saw Leon standing besides Owen, his little arm encircling Owen's thigh. "Is he your kid, Dr Hunt?"

"Oh you had a kid, Dr Hunt? I'm surprise we ain't aware of it," Bailey joined in the conversation, with little Tuck in her arms.

Chuckling, Owen angled his head and gazed fondly at the boy. "He is my nephew, Leon. I'm taking care of him until my sister is back."

Cristina pulled Izzie aside, lowering her voice and reminded her of the operation she had five months ago, "You're so drunk! You shouldn't be drinking at all!"

Izzie's smile faded, and her eyes narrowed intently at her face. "By the end of the day, you'll be wishing that you're the one drunk."

Cristina sighed as she let her wandered off to elsewhere. Izzie was never one to heed her advices.

She whirled around to find Owen in the middle of a conversation with Bailey about finding the right nanny. She stood there watching him, mesmerized by the fatherly look on Owen's face. She realized that he would make an awesome father and husband. Despite her not liking kids, ironically, she surprised even herself that at that moment she wouldn't mind making babies with him. Their babies.

"You're all red."

Cristina almost jumped to his low whisper. He was standing so close that his hot breath was teasing the nape of her neck. Realizing that Bailey was gone, she retorted indignantly, "That's because I'm hot!"

Owen laughed. "You have no idea."

"Shut up!" A smile broke over Cristina's face, transforming her into a little girl yearning for more compliments but decided that she had more important things to do. "I'm going to look for Meredith, you coming?"

Owen looked down at Leon before shaking his head, "Later. This young man needs the bathroom."

"Sure, come look for us when you guys are done," Cristina said with a wry smile.

She was about to spun around when Owen grabbed her forearms and twirled her around. He kissed her again, so softly she hardly had time to taste him before it was over. "Later, Cristina."

****************

"Hey, have you seen Meredith or Derek?" Cristina grabbed George's arm, pulling him slightly away from his conversation with the interns.

"Oh, hi Cristina!" George O'Malley smiled nervously. He peered wildly into her eyes, wanting to detect any signs, any signs that showed that she already knew. But no, there weren't any signs yet, he realized before exhaling deeply. "You just arrived?"

"Yes. I would appreciate if you answer my question."

"They are um…they are…" George glanced across her shoulders with great disconnectedness.

Instinctively, Cristina's head snapped around so she can scan the area and found the newlywed standing at a corner beside a pillar talking to a guest whose back was facing her.

"There she is! Thanks!"

"Hey wait Cristina…" George flagged an arm and called out anxiously but she was already marching towards the trios.

As she neared them, she slowed down to a halt. Frowning, she thought she found the guest whom Meredith and Derek were talking to familiar. Then, she froze, every muscle in her body going rigid. This couldn't be happening. Not after she thought she had found the guy of her dreams. But there he was just a few feet away from her; the same laughter, the same powerful height and build, that same square, uncompromising jaws. He hadn't changed much.

She said nothing for a long moment, just stood very still; struggling for composure she was most famous for. Then she turned around slowly, as if she was on autopilot, compelled to escape from the scene, from him. But she had no such luck when she heard Meredith calling her name.

Cristina swallowed hard. She unwillingly turned around to meet those compelling eyes of his, so dark they seemed to see clear to her soul like always.

"Hello." He greeted her. His voice was deep, but quiet and composed as usual. Normal was the word she would use to describe him. At that very instance, she felt insulted. How on earth could he manage to act so calm after meeting her for the first time after he left without a word? She definitely deserved more than a 'hello' from him!

"Burke." She managed to sound fairly normal. "I-I didn't expect to see you here."

"Neither do I," he gave her a dry smile. "But it's Derek's wedding and they deserve my well-wishes. Cristina...I…" Burke stared at the floor for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "We should have a talk."

Cristina's mind was racing. The irony of her meeting her ex-fiancé here at her best friend's wedding was too much for her to bear. After the painful way they parted, how could seeing him again make things easier? It was like responding to a wound which had stopped bleeding. Was there even a need for a talk?

"Cristina?" She thought she detected a pleading tone in his voice but she wasn't sure.

She looked up to meet Meredith's worried gaze, then she looked Burke straight in his eyes and agreed to the talk outside the ballroom.

Burke had one hand behind her back, though he was barely touching her as he led her out to the lobby. When they were alone, he didn't waste a minute. "How have you been, Cristina?" This time, there was a slight pain in his voice as he studied her.

"I'm good. Never been this well before." She managed to sound aloof, rather anguish. Her lashes lowered, and she stared at reception desk behind him. It hurt too damned much to think about the past, much less to be looking into Burke's eyes.

"Really?" He sucked in his breath and sounded disappointed. "I guess I was right to return you the freedom you had have always wanted."

Cristina stiffened. Feeling her patience slip, she demanded, "What do you mean?"

"You never wanted the marriage Cristina. I eventually came to terms with it at our wedding and thought I should give you back what you'd lost over the period when you're with me."

Her composure slipped, anger simmering beneath the surface as his accusation sank in. For the first time, she allowed bitterness to consume her until nothing was left. "Who are you to decide what's right for me and what isn't? That was our wedding, our marriage! I told you I marry you and I was going to…But you, YOU decided you didn't want a marriage with me because you left without a word, not even a single goodbye! You gave us up, not me......Damn you Burke, damn you!"

Her last few words came out in a whisper, piercing straight through his heart. Pain contorted his face as silence fell between them. He felt that he was drowning in the dark sadness he saw in her eyes. He thought he did what was the best for her but unknowingly ended up hurting her more. "Christina." He started to reach out for her, but thought better of it. "If I knew leaving you would cause you so much pain, I would never do it."

************

Sucking in his breath, Owen allowed himself to fell back against the pillar. His mental wheels were spinning from the unwanted information he had accidentally overheard.

He always knew she had a past which was buried away in her unconscious and although at times he was curious to know, he believed that one day she would trust him enough to confide in him. So he rather wait for her to open up to him. He sure wouldn't give a damn about her past because what was more important to him was the present. He would kick that jerk's ass anytime anywhere just to cease the sadness in her eyes. However, he realized that there were more to pain in her eyes whenever she looked up at her ex-lover. There was something else…called love.

He would if he could, to prevent things from ending up any way but one. But this time he felt lonely in a way he had experienced just one other time in his life.

And empty in a way he'd never known.


End file.
